Battery breaking machine



Sept. ll, 1951 w. o. BLAKE 2,567,542

BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE l1med sept. 29, 1949 5 sheet'S-sneet 1 Wil/iam 0. Bla/re JNVENTOR.

, e BY W. O. BLAKE BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE sept. 11, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1949 Sept l1, 1951 w. o. BLAKE 2,567,542

BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE SpL 11, 1951 W, o, BLAKE 2,567,542

BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE Filed sept. 29, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 4 Y N o u it m Y N s "0j l g Jgl NGI.'

. I 4 I /2 l l l 1 l Wil/iam 0. Blake INVENTOR.

Sept. l1, 1951 w. o. BLAKE BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed sept. 29, 1949 .S .mi

Patented Sept. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY BREAKING MACHINE William O. Blake, Seattle, Wash.

Application September 29, 1949, SerialNo. 118,656

(Cl. 13G-176) 7 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to a machine for processing salvage batteries and recovering the lead and casings therefrom.

The primary' object of this invention is to facilitate and expedite both the handling of the batteries and the actual operation of extracting the lead cores from the batteries.

Another object of this invention, ancillary to the preceding object, is to provide a machine which can b'e operated under agreeable conditions from' the viewpoint of the men actually handling the batteries and the machine and the salvage products'.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a machine in which a number of individual batteries can be grouped together and processed as a group, even when the individual batteries in a groupAv vary slightly in size.

A specific object, relating to the immediately preceding object, is to provide conveyor means upon which a rack can be easily shifted from one station to the succeeding station in the machine, there being different processing operations carried out at the different stations, and an important feature of this invention is the use of the said rack as a member against which the batteries fall under the action of gravity in whatl is hereinafter referred to as the separator, this last feature making it possible for the easy replacement of a portion of the machine which is likely to require replacement most frequently, as well as to provide for a perfectly adapted member to arrest the falling batteries and to retain the casings, still as a group, for movement through a portion of the machine hereinafter referred to as the casing washer.

Yet another object of this invention, relating to the provision of the above mentioned rack, is the provision of means in the said separator for locking the rack in position to receive the falling batteries, the separator having still other means to 'facilitate the removal 'of the rack With the emp-ty casin'gs' thereon.

An object of this invention, equal vin its importance to any of the preceding objects, is the teaching of a method and the means for carrying out a method of recovering lead and casings from salva-ge batteries comprising, in brief, the breaking of the seal and the washing of the batteries as an initial step, the batteries being carried in a rack as a group and in inverted position, whereafter the u'nsealed batteries are processed in a separator, wherein certain of the minor steps in the method may not be novel and 'the corresponding elements notV completely new although the 2V adaptation of the separator for use with a rack and certain other important details are new, and finally, the removal-"of the batteries casings as a group, still inthes'a'me rack andthe washing of the empty casings.

A last objectto be mentioned specically is to provide a method and' means for recovering the lead and' casings. fromA salvagev batteries, which method and' means are relativelyinexpensive and practicable, safe and generally efcient.

With these and other objects Which will occur to those skilled in the art in View, this invention resides in the construction, arrangement and organization of the elements and steps hereinafter referred to in detail in the specification, illustrated in the drawings, and referred to particularly inthe appended claims, the single embodiment of this invention represented in. the drawings being thought of as illustrative rather than limiting, and the different gures in the drawings representing different portions of the machine, as follows:`

Figure l isa grouped view showing the machine in plan, certain portions, of the machine being shown fragmentarily, and this gure includes representation of a pile, of salvage batteries in order to indicate graphically how this machine may be set up and placed inV operation;

Figures 2 and 2A represent collectively substantially the same structure as shown in Figure 1, these figures being vertical, sectional views taken substantially on a section line through the center of the separator and adjacent structure;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the separater, taken from the line 3-3 in Figure 15 Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the rotary hammer assembly and adjacent structure, the view being taken substantially on the line 4-4 in Figure 2A;

Figure 5 is an enlarged'fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5,--5 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, side elevational in character, of a lower portion of the separator;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view, taken substantially on the line 'l-l in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a similar view taken on the line 8-8 in Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the assembled machine;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the line lll-I0 in Figure 2; and

Figure 1l is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line I I-I I in Figure 6 and designed to show the main elements used in locking the rack within the separator and the roller assembly used for facilitating the rolling of the rack out of the separator toward the casing washer.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention is adapted to be used with an environment including a plurality of batteries which need not necessarily be of equal size or shape, these batteries being identified by the numerals Ill. A plurality of these batteries are placed in two rows upon a rack I2, as best illustrated in Figures 2A and 3, this rack being an elongated flat bottomed tray `of open frame character, and the rack with its batteries is slid along the conveyor I4 which is equipped with transverse rollers I6 and freely rotatably mounted. The batteries are placed in the rack I2 inverted position and these batteries remain in this inverted position throughout the processing thereof in the machine. The rack with its load of inverted batteries is pushed along the conveyor I4, as best illustrated in Figure 2A and a rotary hammer having a plurality of discs I8 and a greater plurality of centrifugal hammers pivotally mounted to and between the discs I8'. `It should be here noted'that the rack I2 is conveniently constructed from angle iron and will include upstanding anges 22 extending longitudinally of the rack and ordinarily dividing the rack unequally into portions of unequal width, to receive batteries of different sizes, although in installations where the batteries will be of uniform size, the rack may be correspondingly fabricated. In any event, the upstanding flanges comprise abutment for. the adjacent sides of the batteries in the two rows of batteries on the rack, as clearly indicated in Figure 4, and the centrifugal hammers 20 with their supporting discs I8 will be grouped into two groups on each side of the upstanding flanges 22. The rotary hammer assembly is equipped with adrive shaft 24 which may be journaled in part on the conveyor I4 and this drive shaft is driven by a belt 26 and a complement of pulleys connecting the same with a power driven shaft 28, the source of power being thought unnecessary to be illustrated in the drawings.

The arrangement of elements described above is effective in breaking and loosening the sealing material in the tops of the yinverted batteries in the rack I2 and the nextstep is the washing of the electrolyte from the unsealed batteries. A canopy-like shield 38 is mounted upon the conveyor I4, as best indicated in Figures 1 and 2A, to cover a portion of the conveyor equipped with Water pipes 36 having jets 38 and connected to a source of pressurized water diagrammatically indicated at 39, these '-jets being adapted to direct a forceful spray of Water upwardly into the unsealed batteriesto wash the electrolyte therefrom. The shield 30 is supported on a frame 32 which is preferably equipped with a longitudinally extending rib structure 34 arranged in substantially vertical alignment with the upstanding flange 24 of the rack I2, and the jets 38 will be disposed so as to direct water forcefully against the exposed core portions of the batteries while the same are being passed beneath the shield 3U.

The separator comprises a main `portion of the machine and includes a base 42 and a vertical frame 44, the separator being indicated as a Whole by the numeral 40. The base has a projecting portion 46 upon which are operatively mounted a considerable number of elements including the drive shaft 28 and the reel 48 on the end of this drive shaft, a clutch mechanism 58 on an intermediate portion of this drive shaft, the drive shaft being divided, of course, and a brake drum 52 with a brake band 54 are operatively mounted to control the rotation of the section of the drive shaft 28 adjacent the reel 48. The specific character of the clutch and brake mechanism may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of this invention and these assemblies are somewhat diagrammatically illustrated, the brake band 54 being indicated as operated by an arm 56, illustrated in Figure 2, and a foot lever 58 connected to the arm by a shaft 60. An arm 62 is rigidly secured to the shaft 60, preferably adjacent the reel 48, and the arm 62 and parts connected thereto are biased to move in vone direction by the spring 64, best represented in Figure 2. A cable 66 is secured to and between the arm 62 and another arm 68 pivoted on an upper portion of the frame 44, and it will be clear how this arm 68 is operated by a laterally extending arm 'I0 which is carried by the carriage generally indicated at 12, when this carriage is at its upper limit of travel within the vertical frame 44.

As indicated in the preceding paragraph, the carriage I2 is vertically reciprocally mounted within the frame 44, the drawings representing a carriage which is generally rectangular in shape and guided by the corner members of the vertical frame 44 which may conveniently be of angle iron stock, the upper frame portion 14 of the carriage being dimensioned and shaped to fit reasonably snugly within the vertical frame 44. A second cable 18 has one end wound upon the reel 48 and an intermediate portion of this second cable is led through the pulleys 18 and 88 at the top of the frame 44. This cable I6 is provided with a loop 82, the branches of which are entrained through guide members 84 which may be simple eye members as represented in Figure 3 or pulleys, or the like, mounted upon a pair of opposing jaw assemblies 8B, while the ends of the branches of the loop 82 are entrained through pulleys 88 mounted on the frame member 'I4 of the carriage. The carriage will include a major member 98 ordinarily disposed slightly to one side of the medial line of the carriage to correspond with the positioning of the vertical anges 22 in the rack I2. The jaw assemblies will each include a member 92 of plate character and a battery engaging jaw pivotally mounted on the member 92. A spring B8 will be compressed between the depending member 92 and the jaw 94 and arranged coaxially of a supporting pin 98, so that small variations in the size of batteries will not prevent the corresponding jaws from gripping the same tightly, it being understood that the jaws 94 urge the batteries I0 toward each other and into engagement with the spacer member 90. In this connection, it will be noted that the spacer member 8D may be of elongated form and will be mounted upon a depending plate |00 carried by brackets |02, and the plate IDI! will have an aperture |04 to accommodate a central portion of the loop 82 of the cable previously mentioned as being used to raise and lower the carriage.

The vertical frame 44 of the separator is provided with a transverse member |06 'of plate character and supports xed bars |08l and parallel relatively shiftable bars l 0, the Xed bars |06 corresponding generally as to length and posi-- tioning with the base portions of the upstanding anges 22 in the rack |2, when this rack is moved into the separator 40, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 3, while the shiftable bars are slidable toward and away from the xed bars |08 so as to register reasonably accurately with the baises of lateral angle iron members on the rack |2, when this rack is in position within the separator. The bars |'I0 are shifted by handles I l2 which constitute bell cranks and which are connected to the bars |=|'0 by inflexible links ||'4, the handles ||2 being pivoted on side members o'f the vertical frame 44..

There is provided means to hold the rack I2 in fixed position 'on the bars |08 and H8, while the batteries I0 are being raised by the carriage 12, this means including levers ||6 having portions to engage the sides of the rack l2. The levers ||6 are pivoted on a transverse member ||8 of the frame 44 and inflexible push rods |20 are connected to the levers I I6 by coiled springs |22, while outer end portions of the push rods |20 are provided with handles |24 and lugs |26. When handles |24 are turned slightly about the axis of the push rods |20, the lugs |28 are allowed to enter slots |28, thus allowing the push rods to release the levers ||6 from engagement with the rack I2, but when the handles are pulled outwardly and the lugs |26 engage the outer surface of the transverse member ||8, the upper portions of the levers ||6 tightly engage the rack |2 and hold the same xedly upon the bars |08 and H0.

Means to facilitate the movement of the loaded rack into the separator and from the separator are provided in this invention and include rollers |36 on angle arms |32 pivoted on the transverse members H8, at two sides of the machine, the push rods |34 being used to connect the angle arms |32` with levers |36, these levers |36 being rigidly secured on a shaft |33 and operated by a pedal member |40. The shaft |38 is biased to rotate in one direction by a spring |42, and it will be understood that further link members |44 will be used to connect operatively other oppositely disposed assemblies of similar rollers |30 and angle arms 32, so that at least four such roller assemblies will be simultaneously operated to lift the rack l2 out of engagement with the bars |08, |0 when it is desired to move the rack into and out of the separator.

The carriage 'l2 is provided with at least one depending push rod |46 designed so that its lower end operates a bell crank member |41 pivotally secured to one end of the brake band 54 so that the brake drum 52 and the reel 48 are braked sharply when the carriage reaches the lower eX- tremity of its travel. Furthermore, in order to prevent undue vibration and injury to the carriage, rubber bumpers |48 are mounted in suitably positioned portions of the vertical frame 44 to engage lower end portions of the carriage 12 at the bottom of its travel.

The extending portion 46 of the base of the separator includes a pair of upstanding base plate supports |50 which have rotatably mounted thereon at their upper ends a simple roller |52, this roller comprising essentially, an extension of the conveyor |44 to facilitate the movement of the rack I2, laden with batteries, from the conveyor I|64 into the separator.

A 'belt |54 and a suitable complement of pulleys connect the drive shaft 28 with a drive shaft |56 having a worm gear |58 enme'shed with a gear |60 to `drive a spiral Aconveyor |62 extending to what may be considered the rear of the machine. This spiral 'conveyor |62 operates within the lower arcuate portion 'of a hopper |64 rigidly mounted upon the vertical frame 44, this hopper leading into chute |66 lextending transversely of the hopper |64 and having a second spiral conveyor |68 vdriven by a suitable complement of pulleys and a belt |18 entrained over a pulley on the shaft |56. The conveyor |68 has' an outlet |12 into 'a trough |14, wherein the material of the cores of the batteries and water from the battery casing Washer will be deposited.

Referring now to this battery `casing washer, it should first be noted that the vbattery casings are removed as a group within the rack |2, from the position thereof within the separator into the casing washer. In this washer supporting beam members |16, corresponding generally with the side members of the conveyor I4, support a plurality of transverse freely rotatably mounted rollers |18 and pipes |80 with jets |82, connected to a suitable source o'f water under pressure, play forceful streams of water upwardly into the inverted empty battery casings. A sloping floored hopper |84 collects the flush water and sludge from the batteries and directs this material into the conveyor |68. A feature of the casing washer is the provision of a shield |86 which is hinged as indicated at |88 at one side of the washer, the hinge construction being operatively connected with a valve |90 controlling flow of water into the washer from the pipe system |80. This arrangement allows the operator to initiate the flow of the flushing water immediately upon the depression of the shield |86 into the position indicated in the figures, a handle |92 being provided on the shield |86 to facilitate the manipulation thereof. It will be noted that a section of the conveyor |4 leads from the casing washer, as indicated at |94 and |96, preferably in a returned path leading toward the stock of salvage batteries I0, as indicated in Figure 1, so that the rack |2 will be returned for re-use.

The operation of this invention and the method and steps will be clearly understood from a consideration of the foregoing description of this invention and further description of the mechanical details or the method would appear to be unnecessary.

Having described the claimed as new is:

l. A machine for recovering the lead and oasings from salvage batteries comprising an open frame rack to receive a plurality of batteries, rotary hammers operatively mounted below said frame rack to remove the sealing material from the tops of the batteries carried by said rack, fluid jet means located adjacent said rack and in advance of said hammers to wash the electrolyte from the batteries while supported on the rack, a separator including a carriage disposed adjacent to said rack to raise the batteries, trip means operatively connected with said carriage to drop the batteries in inverted position, bars supporting said rack, said rack comprising means to arrest the casings of the dropped batteries, whereby the cores of the batteries are separated from the casings by gravity, a conveyor for the cores, and a washer for empty casings.

invention, what is 2. A machine according to claim 1 and including a conveyor along which said rack with its complement of batteries travels from the rotary hammer to the separator.

3. A machine according to claim 1 and wherein said separator has Aa vertical frame, said carriage being vertically slidably mounted in the frame and having oppositely disposed pivoted jaw assemblies each depending members and jaws pivoted thereon, a reel and cable operatively mounted on said frame to raise said carriage, said jaw assemblies having guide means engaged by said cable to close said jaws into battery engaging position.

4. A machine according to claim 1 and wherein said separator has a vertical frame, said carriage being vertically slidably mounted in the frame and having oppositely disposed pivoted jaw assemblies each depending members and jaws pivoted thereon, a reel and cable operatively mounted on said frame to raise said carriage, said jaw assemblies having guide means engaged by said cable to close said jaws into battery engaging position, and manually operated jaw locking means to hold said jaws in batteries engaging position when the cable is slackened.

5. A machine according to claim 1 and including a conveyor leading over said rotary hammer to said separator, said rack being elongated and shiftable along said conveyor, so that said batteries are successively operated upon by said 8 hammer while supported in inverted position within said rack.

6. A machine according to claim 1 and including rollers adjacent said bars, and means to ra'se and lower said rollers into and out of engagement with said rack to facilitate movement of the rack with its complement of batteries into the separator and movement of the rack with its empty casings out of said separator.

7. A machine according to claim 1 and including rollers adjacent said bars, and means to raise and lower said rollers into and out of engagement with said rack to facilitate movement of the rack with its complement of batteries into the separator and movement of the rack with its empty casings out of said separator, and means to lock said rack on said bars when the rollers are depressed.

WILLIAM O. BLAH?.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bemel Dec. 28, 1948 

